Have you thought of an antique wedding ring in your search for something unique? Do you want something you can pass along with your family history? Antique rings have a certain charm to them and a unique quality not found in a modern ring. Let’s explore this a bit more.

* Consider the fact that you can often find a larger looking diamond that dates back to the 30’s. Why is that? Well, the bands were very elaborate and allowed the carved setting to accentuate the diamond in a way that made it look bigger.

* an old heirloom ring is sometimes less expensive than a new diamond ring.

* old wedding rings are many times of a much better craftsmanship

* Antique bands are already an heirloom

* if you were to order a ring made today with the same style work as an antique ring you would pay much more than you would pay for the authentic era ring.

* antique diamond rings can be found with lovely but slight rose hues or yellow or green diamonds…Talk about unique.

But do keep in mind, when shopping for antique jewelry, that if the wedding ring has any other companion stones they need to be checked for quality. Many other stones are soft and can be more easily cracked. Stones such as pearls, opals, or emeralds are good examples of softer stones.

Also consider that an antique diamond’s quality was measured differently in the past due to technological differences. The cutting methods were also different but then that is what will also help to make the ring more unique.

When you shop for a ring, keep in mind the terminology used because a truly antique ring is, by most rules, a ring that is over fifty years of age.

Whatever ring you decide to buy just make sure that the ring brings you pleasure. Preserve your family history by purchasing a unique Antique wedding ring and a touch of class like no modern ring can project.

You might think that antique silver will constantly need the tarnish removed but if you follow some useful tips on cleaning the silver and then keep the silver away from sulfur, use the silver regularly and keep away from acid-based products you will be able to greatly enjoy the beauty of your silver.

First of all, use it regularly. Silver is best off if you actually use it. But if you eat something like peas or eggs or onions you might want to use something else for a utensil for these meals. The reason is there is sulfur in those foods.

Second, when you wash your silverware don’t wash it in the dishwasher because the detergent is harsh and the heat is too high for silver. However, washing in mild soapy water is ok if you wash quickly and rinse in clean hot water. Then dry immediately.

** A note about eating eggs and such…If you do want to use the silver cutlery anyway for eating peas, mayonnaise, brussel sprouts, and eggs then after washing as mentioned in number two dip the silver briefly in a silver dip. But make sure you then rinse the silver in warm water thoroughly and dry with a soft cloth.

Once you have clean silver it is easy to maintain with a quick dusting using a warm soapy water wash and a soft cloth. Rinse well and quickly dry the silver.

What about silver you are not going to use regularly? Well, it can be a good idea to put it away in a tarnish-proof felt or acid-free paper. Place that in a cupboard or drawer and keep as airtight as possible. When you take out the silver if you find that it has tarnished no problem because tarnish is not truly harmful to silver. It is ugly but not corrosive. So when you need to use it again just use one of these simple methods to remove the tarnish from the silver.

Method one: converts silver sulfide into silver but does not remove the silver so no harm comes to the silver pieces. The recipe is as follows:

You will need:

* baking soda

* Salt

* aluminum foil

* water

* tongs

Now you will line a glass pan or sink with the foil then

heat water until it steams and add:

* 1 tablespoon baking soda

* 1 tablespoon of salt for each quart of water then

pour it into the glass pan or the sink

You will need tongs to place the silver on the pan and you will need to make sure the silver touches the aluminum foil. What you will notice is that the tarnish will disappear almost immediately.

If you have a greatly tarnished piece of silver you might have to repeat the process with a reheated solution.

If you would rather just buy from the wide assortment of cleaners available at the grocery store or the hardware store then try to get the least abrasive cleaner possible. No matter what you buy, most of these products remove a slight layer of silver so buy one for your antique silver that is the long-lasting kind.

Let’s take a trip in time to the antique pedal car of the 1800s. The pedal car evolved from being built with scraps around the house into a commercially manufactured car to play with. Pedal cars were played with by rich and poor kids with the difference being in a homemade pedal car versus a high quality manufactured line of pedal cars.

The design of pedal cars has followed the decades often reflecting the romantic notions of the time about full-size cars. The 1920’s era saw heavier and larger toy cars. While in the 1940s there were manufacturers that hired regular full-size automobile designers for creating a pedal car design streamlined and speedy. By the 50’s these toy pedal cars were so popular that they were usually visible in some form of advertisement. With sadness though, in the 1970s the everlasting metal pedal car was replaced by the plastic one.

But all memories of a long-lasting pedal car built to last 30 years or more has not gone to waste as there again are consumers seeking steel made pedal cars. There are wonderful styles full of detail that match the original pedal cars and they are being produced today. They are being made in many forms, not just cars. There are pedal vehicles like:

* Flyers

* Planes

* die cast models of the pedal cars

And the wonderful thing about these long-lasting toys, even the love for the original pedal toys that are collected by individuals or museums, is that they have evoked memories of our childhood. It is often a toy that people remember having when they were a child. It brings back memories of that first car, memories of that first toy car the one that helps to put a smile on a youngsters face. It is the kind of toy coveted and wished upon by many a kid of the past. So much so that people are now buying these sturdy creations for their kids today.

This is one of the few toys made to last. Made to be passed down from one generation to the next generation. A true heirloom and a wonderful gift that will transcend time. There are even adults buying these cars for themselves. Toy collectors buy them, kids a heart buy them, and it is no wonder with the fun involved and the fire truck bells or the fast-moving sleek race car you just have to yearn for some playtime. So whether you want to buy a new pedal car for a toy or a future antique you can’t go wrong with an all-steel construction of the truly collectible antique pedal car meant to last a lifetime.

You might have a valuable antique Christmas ornament. Do you get a new ornament for the family holiday almost every year? You might already have a great collection of Christmas ornaments spanning years of family celebration. Many people do…

So many people love to display their collections year after year at celebrations with their friends and family. They have been adding to the ornament collection for generations …and even though many don’t think of themselves as collectors, they indeed have quite a collection. There are actually many different kinds of people who collect antique ornaments. These ornaments are one of the most numerous of all items collected.

Some people like to use antique decorations to spice up their festive scene. An old world decor is quite appealing and can be easily created by adding to your vintage collection all year. Yard sales, flea markets, and internet shopping reveal many beautiful decorations throughout the year.

Some people like to collect a whole series of ornaments or a certain type of material. Antique ornaments are available still in pressed and painted cardboard, paper mache, blown glass and spun glass. Or how about antique Christmas lights or feather trees. People even collect antique cards. Collections of antique Christmas decorations that date back to the 19th and 20th century are worth quite a lot so if you have any, that are as old as that, then care for them wisely.

If you are not one of the people who has started an ornament collection but want to, then check into ornaments made in the ’60s, as they might be easier to find than the 20th-century antiques.

While Christmas and decorations constantly evolve with times and fluctuate with the current fashions there will always be decorations worth collecting. Look over your antique Christmas ornaments and think about how you can add to your collection this year.

Antique Rugs are often older than 25 years but there are also reproductions that rug manufacturers make which are exact copies of old rugs often of a museum model. The truly antique rug has to be expertly cared for while the contemporary copy can be used in every day living without the same concerns.

A rug can really highlight your home and many rugs from the past have held up for years and years withstanding time and many feet. Here we will cover in brief some antique rug styles. Let’s get going…

* For use as an area rug or an accent you will find that an antique Persian rug has an incredibly tight and extremely precise pattern. This is a common characteristic of this rug and it comes in color schemes suitable for vintage and contemporary style decor.

* Another type of Persian rug called Bakshaish is popular with collectors and has a rich pigment and unforced character to it. But these rugs are more for a centerpiece in a room. They bring about a wonderful contrasting picture of designs that refresh and inspire.

* If you want a floral design the antique sarouk Persians is for you and it is strong, sturdy yet plush enough to be soft.

But there are more than Persian rugs and even more than oriental rugs that make up our history. And here are some worth mentioning too:

* If you like dragons then you might like to consider a Kar Rug

* If you are looking for overall beauty with a wonderful design then look for an Anatolian rug

* A Ladik rug has tulips in the center and on the borders for you tulip lovers.

* The Turkmen rug has a flat woven weave and hand knotted

Looking into the Southwest Americas you will find awesome Navajo rugs. Navajo rugs make wonderful wall hangings as well as floor coverings. Many other classical rugs are:

* Asian rug

* Chinese rug

* Tibetan Rug

Most of these old rugs have wonderful dramatic coloring and some spiritual meaning.

And while these rugs we just explored might be considered antique they can still be very useable. They are meant to be used and are meant to be a decorative cover for your floor. One tip you might consider in helping keep your antique rug in optimal shape is to use a carpet pad. One of the best is plastic foam as this will prolong the life of most antique rugs of any kind.

Every day you are caught in a struggle with your most treasured antique table. You want to have a quality gathering at the dinner table and see the fabulous wood but don’t want that sweating cold lemonade to stain it or that gravy that is hidden from your view on the side of the table, at dinner, to permanently leave a huge white spot. But what do you do?

There is an ongoing challenge and a formidable one at that taking place with many owners of fine antique furniture. They desire to preserve your collections along with the idea that it still should be utilized. These two ideas tend to be in conflict without a single doubt. But there are a few things you can do that just might help with this matter.

Since you might not want a full table cloth on at dinner time then at least use a coaster for the drinks. This of course will help to prolong the finish and prevent those moldy spots left in that area where you know that cup was sitting but had been later covered with an ornament to hide the mess. One really good option if you want to see the wood and hate coasters or you’re just sure that a drink will ultimately get spilled is to place a glass top on the table. Be sure to put some nice little rubber pieces between the table and the glass. That seems like that is the ultimate solution if you can find the right sized glass piece to place on the wood.

When you clean your table, after a meal, wipe off the dust or crumbs first using a soft cloth or a vacuum with a soft brush attached. If you have to clean the table with a wet cloth, then use a very dilute detergent. Make sure you dry the table well as wetness or humidity will cause cracks, gaps in the joints and problems with veneer or any inlays in the table.

If you happen to have your table in front of a window you should close the curtain during the brightest part of the day as the sunlight can cause fading and unsightly darkening of the finish. If you don’t mind a cover then put a table top cover on to avoid this problem with the wood and still enjoy the afternoon sun.

These suggestions might seem trivial but following them will help you to increase the life of your antique table.

Have you ever wondered about that old bottle you found? Antique Glass comes in many forms and that bottle you have laying around with the dirt in the bottom might be well worth keeping. Collecting glass is a fun and fascinating hobby. Even glass that isn’t antique can be worth a lot of money. 18th-century glass and more recently made glass is really not that hard to find. But what do you look for and what is antique glass?

We don’t really know exactly where glass originated but we know it was produced in Rome, Egypt, and in Syria. Early glass can be fragile but as stated earlier it can still be found in good shape. Old glass was made with sand that is heated and fused with something like soda or potash then lime for a stabilizer.

Glass that is 25 years old or older is known by the trade as Antique glass however glass doesn’t have to be old to be antique glass. Because there is a method known as hand blowing glass and then cutting into flattened pieces which gives the same look and quality of glass made centuries ago. The method of mouth blown glass is a very fine example of a craft dating back centuries continuing into the current time period.

What types of glass were there? Well, there were basically three methods or types.

1) A glass made from potash over in northern Europe.

2) Glass made from soda derived by burning seaweed around the 13th century in Venice.

3) Potash glass with lead instead of lime made in the 17th and 18th centuries over in England and Europe.

What would you look for in hand blown glass? The most discernable characteristic feature of this glass is a structure of small bubbles that are round or oval, like seeds maybe, while they are subtle they are still pronounced. This type of glass has a brilliance and transparency that no other glass can imitate. Glass made with an antique hand blown method might have ripples and some unevenness to it. You might think of it as imperfections but it is some of the characteristics of antique hand blown glass.

What is so wonderful about old glass is it is made in many colors and the light refractions set it apart from any other glass. Some places you might have looked at have antique glass used for their windows such as a church or a bank or even private homes.

You probably can picture in your mind the grainy texture and the brilliant mix of colors that some of the glass displays. Just stop and look sometime at the red, silver, green, and yellow that the antique glass throws at you in the warm sunlight. That will give you an idea of what antique glass is like in all its glory.

Did you ever wonder what made items in the past become a future antique? Is it that they lasted long enough to become an antique or is there something special about all antiques that help them to acquire that status? I also sometimes am left wondering what, in this current time, will become an antique in the near or distant future. Here I’m going to explore what might make an item collectible and some things that you could save for an antique of the future.

So, why is something commonly bought collectible?

* Fastest thing I think of is – they are a limited edition or limited in the amount created

* They are produced in quantity but only for a short period of time

* They are a throw-away item like a newspaper or a Pez dispenser

* They occur as a result of a major event

* They might be a totally new breakthrough in technology at the time

* They declare a time, as in, the spirit of something

* Something that was once mass produced but has a very remarkable design

Now, what accessories could be collected or be a collection that transforms into an antique for the future? Here are a few brief examples.

* Bamboo – One item that seems to have a long lasting quality is bamboo. You can find it in furniture and in basket weaving both of which usually have high tensile strength. Many unique items can be created with bamboo. They’re Very durable and long lasting yet unique in many cases.

* Bottles especially perfume bottles

* Dolls have always been seen as collectible but how about Doll Houses

* The infamous Potter (Harry Potter) items

* Button Watches…now that is something to research

* Certain chairs some made from antique wood

* Toys that bring back memories from childhood

* Some Purses and handbags

* Miniature plastic figures, like a lord of the rings figure for example

Just use your imagination. You could decide to collect something based on a certain designer just like some people collect based on a favorite artist. You never know what will be a future antique but it sure can be fun to collect what you enjoy and see what happens.